The influence of pregnant women's personality traits and well-being on internet-based decision-making and coping styles with stress.

BACKGROUND: The worldwide utilization of computers and the internet has transformed the way in which individuals access information. This study aims to examine the associations between pregnant women’s personality traits, well-being, and their internet-based decision-making and stress coping styles. METHODS: The study was designed as a descriptive correlational type. The research was conducted between October 2023 and May 2024 and included 231 pregnant women. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Cervantes Personality Scale, the World Health Organization Five Well-Being Index (1998 version), the Internet Decision-Making Scale in Pregnancy, and the Stress Coping Styles Scale. RESULTS: A negative correlation was found between the total score of the Internet Decision-Making Scale in Pregnancy and the extroversion/introversion personality trait (r=-0.178, p = 0.007), whereas a positive significant correlation was observed with the consistency/inconsistency trait (r = 0.180, p = 0.006). Statistically significant relationships were observed at different levels and in different directions among the subdimensions of the Stress Coping Styles Scale, with the exception of the “Seeking Social Support” subdimension. No significant associations were found between WHO-5 well-being and the Internet Decision-Making Scale in Pregnancy or the Stress Coping Styles Scale. DISCUSSION: The findings suggest that internet use may be increasingly involved in the decision-making processes of pregnant women and may be associated with individual personality traits. CONCLUSION: Healthcare professionals are encouraged to integrate digital health literacy interventions into antenatal care and to recommend validated online information platforms to promote informed and safe internet-based decision-making among pregnant women.